As you begin planting your garden this spring, consider planting a row for the hungry. Sharing a bountiful harvest is one of the hallmarks of many gardeners. Planting a row for the hungry is a beautiful way to put your faith in action to help others. It’s a good way to put that zucchini to use when your family has tried it 100 ways and is begging for a break from it. Someone else may love it.
Plant A Row was started in 1995 by the Garden Writers Association to encourage gardeners to plant an extra row of produce and donate the surplus to local food banks, soup kitchens and service organizations to help feed America’s hungry.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 in 8 households in the United States experiences hunger or the risk of hunger. Demand at food banks has increased in recent years, and hundreds of hungry children and adults are turned away due to lack of resources. Providing fresh produce you grow can help supplement local food banks.
If you have space for an extra row, but need assistance, consider making it a neighborhood project or a youth group activity to help harvest and deliver. Some locations have an interfaith network that helps deliver the food.
Learn more at the Garden Writers website.
